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WFMZ
WFMZ-TV, virtual channel 69 (VHF digital channel 9), is an independent television station licensed to Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. The station is owned by the locally based Maranatha Broadcasting Company, as part of a duopoly with Wilmington, Delaware-licensed MeTV affiliate WDPN-TV (channel 2). WFMZ's studios and transmitter are located on South Mountain in Allentown. Broadcast area WFMZ mainly serves the Lehigh Valley region (including Warren County, New Jersey in the New York City market) and Berks County. Because the Lehigh Valley is part of the Philadelphia television market, it also has significant cable coverage in much of the Philadelphia area (including Trenton, New Jersey). The station's over-the-air signal reaches some counties in northwestern New Jersey that are part of the New York City market, and is carried on some cable companies in the area. WFMZ provides local news coverage to and has cable carriage in Carbon, Monroe, Luzerne, and Schuylkill counties within the Wilkes-Barre–Scranton television market. History Prior to the debut of channel 69, an earlier television station that held the WFMZ callsign, which was also based in Allentown, operated on UHF channel 67 from December 1954 to April 1955. The current incarnation of WFMZ first signed on the air on UHF channel 69 on November 25, 1976. Its initial programming featured a mix of religious content and general entertainment, as well as two daily local newscasts. The station ran religious shows such as the PTL Club and The 700 Club from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In the afternoons the station ran a mix of family-type drama shows and classic sitcoms. In prime time, the station ran a newscast and the Phil Donahue Show. Religious shows ran late night. On Saturdays, the station ran a few hours of children's shows, specialty shows and some religious shows. On Sundays, the station aired mostly religious shows. The station was on air about 15 hours a day. In the 1990s, the station began running fewer religious shows and more sitcoms, talk shows and reality shows. 69 News gradually expanded and by 2000, the station was running three hours of local news a day and a mix of comedy shows and talk/reality and court shows. Today, the station runs about six hours a day of news as well as talk and reality shows. Gallery WFMZ-TV logo.png WFMZ 69 2004.png WFMZ-TV_69_News.jpg Wfmz_allentown.png WFMZ 69 2013.jpg 69_News_WFMZ_New_Logo.jpg 1568837311-NEW LEGAL ID custom.png Category:Independent stations Affiliates Category:Pennsylvania Category:Channel 69 Category:Television channels and stations established in 1976 Category:Allentown/Reading/Bethlehem, PA Category:Maranatha Broadcasting Company Category:UHF Category:1976 Category:Other Pennsylvania Stations Category:CBS Corporation Category:Philadelphia Category:New Jersey Category:Harrisburg Category:Former NTA Film Network affiliates Category:Princeton Category:Scranton Category:Wilkes-Barre Category:Lancaster Category:New York City Category:Television stations in New York Category:New York Category:Other New York Stations Category:VHF Category:Former DuMont Affiliates Category:Television stations in Maryland Category:Maryland Category:Other Maryland Stations Category:Other New England Stations Category:Television stations in New England Category:Atlantic City Category:Connecticut Category:Wilmington Category:Delaware Category:Newark Category:Millville Category:1994 Category:AccuWeather Affiliates Category:1986 Category:1982 Category:1999 Category:York Category:Easton/Lehigh Valley,PA Category:Lebanon,PA Category:Pottstown/Birdsboro/West Reading,PA Category:Sinclair Broadcast Group Category:LPTV Stations/LPTV Repeaters Category:Heroes & Icons affiliates stations Category:MeTV Affiliates Category:2013 Category:Retro TV Affiliates Category:Television stations in Virginia Category:Virginia Category:2004